Amazon, the American technology giant, has announced plans to launch drone delivery services in the UK and Italy by 2024. This move comes a decade after Amazon first revealed its ambition to revolutionize package delivery using autonomous aircraft. The company aims to deliver 500 million packages annually through drone delivery by the end of the decade.
The announcement was made alongside the introduction of Amazon’s new generation of drones at its headquarters in Seattle. David Carbon, Amazon’s Vice President for Prime Air, expressed excitement about expanding the Prime Air delivery service internationally for the first time outside of the US. He stated that Amazon has developed a safe and reliable delivery system and has closely collaborated with regulators and communities.
Currently, Amazon’s drone-based service is available only in two small locations in California and Texas, where it was launched less than a year ago. However, the company plans to establish a third American location next year to expand its operations further.
Since Amazon first outlined its drone delivery plans in 2013, progress has been slow. The company launched Prime Air last year in Lockeford, California, and College Station, Texas, but CNBC reported in May that only 100 deliveries had been conducted so far. Amazon had initially set a target of 10,000 deliveries for this year.
Acknowledging the slow progress, Carbon stated that thousands of packages had already been successfully delivered by Amazon drones, and they have thousands of customers. He also mentioned that a small-scale drone delivery test was conducted in the UK back in 2016.
While details about specific locations in the UK and Italy were not disclosed, Carbon outlined a plan to dispatch drones from multiple sites across the US, UK, and Italy in the future. He emphasized that this is not merely a market test, but a commercial service that customers and communities require.
Baroness Vere, the UK transport minister, applauded Amazon’s announcement, considering it a step forward in achieving the shared vision of making commercial drones a common sight in the UK by 2030.
Amazon showcased its newest drone model, the MK30, during the media tour of its drone factory in Seattle. Unlike the current drones in use, the MK30 doesn’t require a dedicated delivery pad with a QR code. It can operate in light rain, heavier winds, and even during the evenings. However, regulatory approval will be necessary before these new capabilities can be utilized.
In terms of safety, Carbon assured that ordering an item delivered by an Amazon drone would be much safer than driving to a physical store to make the purchase.
With this new announcement, Amazon joins other key players, such as Walmart and Alphabet, in the race to make drone deliveries a reality. Strict regulatory requirements have posed challenges for these companies, but Amazon’s launch in the UK is seen as an opportunity for the Civil Aviation Authority to learn about the safe functioning of drones in British airspace.
